Prominent Israeli author Hayyim Hazaz's artistic philosophy and creative process emerge vividly in a newly translated 1970 interview conducted during his visit to receive an honorary degree from Temple University. Through informal discussions with Hebrew literature scholars and writers in New York City, Hazaz revealed his deliberate exclusion of childhood narratives, explaining how his generation experienced youth not through play but as "little old Jews" immersed in Torah study. The interview illuminates his meticulous revision process, particularly evident in his twelve-volume collected works, where he strategically removed complex kabbalistic and Arabic elements from Yemenite stories to increase reader accessibility while maintaining narrative integrity. Rather than portraying specific individuals, Hazaz crafted composite characters drawn from multiple sources, as demonstrated in "Shackled Together," reflecting his sophisticated artistic methodology. His work ultimately explores the fundamental tension between exile (galut) and redemption (geulah) in Jewish consciousness, positioning him within the ideologically-driven tradition of Hebrew literature alongside Bialik and Mendele.